Sightseeing around Twin Falls Area

Monday, June 13, 2016

Idaho greets us with a couple of rain showers though nothing that lasted very long, thank goodness.  Of course, we cannot travel far without running into a number of construction projects along the way, but nothing that delays us.  When you travel in the northern section of the U.S., you find there are only two seasons, winter and construction.

Our plan here is to take in the areas surrounding Twin Falls that we did not see on our last visit some years ago.  Twin Falls is the center of 500,000 acres of prime farmland irrigated by the water of the Snake River.  It is on the edge of the Snake River Canyon which was gorged out some 30,000 years ago by the Great Bonneville Flood. 

We are staying at the Twin Falls County Fairgrounds located in Filer, ID just a short distance to the west of Twin Falls.  It is a fairly large fairground with lots and lots of camp sites both pull through and back in all on grass and some under large tall trees.  We are told to select whatever site we like within a certain area and we find a nice site under the trees.

Weather here today is in the low 80’s and expected to drop to the high 60’s’s in the next few days with warmer temps later in the week.  That’s okay by us as temps in Albuquerque have been in the high 90’s.

Tuesday, June 14, 2016

Today we take a drive west from the Fairgrounds to the town of Buhl, a small, but very rural community.  The area here is very fertile and very agricultural where barley, alfalfa, sugar beets, barley, corn, and potatoes, to name a few crops, are grown.  It reminds us of the farming we saw in Saskatchewan, Canada when we were there.   Buhl is said to be the rainbow trout capital of the United States as the town is a leader in trout research and production.  Trout are raised and shipped throughout the world. 

After stopping at the Chamber of Commerce (Visitor Center) for some maps (apparently Buhl is not known for putting up many signs to their local attractions), we travel down one back country road to another passing farm after farm wondering all the time if we are on the right roads and will ever get to the Niagara Springs and Crystal Springs Parks.  Along the way, we come across this view from the cliffs.

When we do, we are rewarded with high up cascades of water coming out of the side of the canyon creating beautiful waterfalls emptying into the Snake River far below.  What a beautiful sight.  

We even found this little fellow floating in one of the ponds.

Another attraction in the area is Balanced Rock located 17 miles out of Buhl.  One would never guess there was a rocky area nearby.  After passing through some rocky mountains and dropping down and then up, we arrive at the Salmon Falls Creek Canyon and a unique geological formation known as Balanced Rock.  The rock is over 48 feet tall and weighs 40 tons.  The wind carved rock which looks like a question mark sits atop a pedestal of only 30 by 17 inches.  Hope no one is here when the rock decides to fall.

Looks like a Question Mark

Returning to Buhl, we continue further west high above the Snake River to one of many RV Resorts located next to the river.  The Thousand Springs RV Resort sits next to the river with these views across the way.   These springs are believed to be the reappearance of the Lost River, which vanishes into the lava fields 90 miles away.

Traveling on to the town of Hagerman, we stop to see this little park which has these sculptures honoring the impact that sheep had in this area starting during the Civil War.

An early sheepherders RV

Before returning to our campground, we stop by the local Elks Lodge which sits next to a lovely golf course.  It was a breezy and chilly day to be out golfing but we know those crazy golfers play no matter the weather.  In 2012 we made a visit to this Lodge and found the people just as friendly as before.  A drink and the Tuesday night tacos ended our day, but we will return on Friday for another drink and their steak dinner.


Signing off until the next installment from Twin Falls.         

Salt Lake City and Vicinity

We had an uneventful trip from Moab to Salt Lake City, actually Draper, UT which is where the campground we stay in is located.  My brother Gil and wife Sherry live in Sandy which is about 15 miles south of Salt Lake and just four miles from the campground.  Very convenient for them and us.

We remained here for the week enjoying time with my family as well as Sherry’s father Dick and brother Cory.  Also got our dog fix as they have a German Shepherd named Indy who enjoys lots of attention. 

There was some excitement on Tuesday when Sherry’s brother had to be rescued by from his condo by the fire department.  There was a fire in the condo next door to his with considerable smoke damage in his.  He was unable to leave the building through his door so was rescued from the third floor by ladder.  We are so thankful he was uninjured though he will be out of his apartment for at least three months while repairs, etc. are done.  Fortunately, Sherry and Cory’s Dad lives near by and Cory will move in with him until repairs are completed.  Cory even made the local news. 

In addition, we spent time one evening up in the local mountain area near by enjoying the coolness and open air as well as time with Gil and Sherry’s friends Steve and Sandy who are also RVers like us though not full time.  Always enjoy spending time with them and look forward to meeting up with them in our RV’s in the next year.  We had fun playing "Catch Phrase" that evening with ladies against the guys. 

My friend Sally from Albuquerque has a sister in the area so we enjoyed a short visit with her. as well.    I have known her for many years with both of us now breast cancer survivors.  She was a great support while I recently underwent my treatments.  Thanks, Annette.  May we both continue in good health for many more years to come.

Gil builds wood furniture so we had him repair the step stool he made for us many years ago as well as a minor wood repair in the RV.  Since we travel in the RV full time, we do not have all the tools, paints, etc. to make those types of repairs.  Sure is great to have such a talented brother.

The guys played golf on Thursday while Sherry, Sandy and I enjoyed a visit to two beautiful quilt shops with Sandy and I returning on Saturday for their Show and Tell with a coupon for a of 25% off the total purchase.  Such a deal!  Like I needed any more patterns or fabric. 

We left Draper today after saying goodbye to Gil and Sherry on Sunday as they left for two weeks on a Viking Cruise from Amsterdam to Budapest.  We will look forward to getting postcards and pictures of their trip. 

Sightseeing on this leg of our trip was put aside as we wanted to spend time with the family and we have been here many, many times over the years so have seen most of the local sites.  No time either for a visit to the LDS Genealogy Library.  That too will wait for another time; however, I have included a couple of shots taken from the RV today as we head to Idaho via I-15 and I-84.

Signing off until we reach the Twin Falls, Idaho Area.

Moab, Utah

Our journey on Friday was from Farmington, NM to Moab, UT via Cortez, CO.  The highway takes us through Shiprock, NM with the famous rock formation from which the town gets its name.  This area is also the Four Corners where Utah, Arizona, New Mexico and Colorado all come together. 

One of the sites we see along the highway are the tops of the mountains in the distance still covered in snow.  They have had some late snow in the area this year.

After driving through Monticello, we begin a climb through some low mountain areas with beautiful views of the sandstone cliffs.   It is interesting what wind and weather have done to the various formations. 

Here too along Highway 191 is a place called “Hole N’ the Rock” which is a 5,000 square foot, 14 room home carved out of rock by Albert Christensen and completed by high wife and children after his passing.  “It began as a small alcove for the Christensen boys to sleep in at night and grew into a man-made engineering marvel 20 years in the marking”.   There is also a 65 foot chimney and a deep bathtub built into the rock.  Some original furnishings as well as Albert’s painting and tools used to create the home can be found along the 12 minute tour.

Moab is the home of Arches National Monument and Canyonlands National Park as well as Dead Horse State Park.  It is very much a tourist city and resides along the Colorado River where rafting, jeep and ATV tours and hiking abound.  If you don’t have a weekend reservation at a hotel, lodge or RV park ahead of time, you will be hard pressed to find one upon arriving on a weekend.   Here we are in our site at the Spanish Trail RV Park just south of the city of Moab and below some of the rocky cliffs.  Notice that the "little black cloud" from last summer is not with us so far this year.

Today Ron and I ventured off to Canyonlands and Dead Horse Point.  It is a 25 minute drive from Moab along the highway and then onto a wide two lane and sometimes windy and upward climbing roadway to the Parks.  Along the way there are many overlook points with what I can only say are awe inspiring scenic vistas in the distance.  One video we watched today described the area as more beautiful than the Grand Canyon.  It is amazing how deep the gorges are and how the Green and Colorado Rivers wind through the rock formations. 

Canyonlands is actually three different areas with Island in the Sky to the north (where we went) the most accessible, The Maze to the west and The Needles on the east. Water, wind, gravity and the weather were and are this land’s architect with flat layers of sedimentary rock cut into hundreds of canyons, mesas, buttes, arches and spires.  At the center are two canyons carved by the Green and Colorado Rivers.   

Monitor and Merrimac Formations

 

Dead Horse Point

Dead Horse State Park is located along the same route and towers 2,000 feet above the Colorado River with breathtaking panorama views of pinnacles and buttes.  According to legend, the point was once used as a corral for wild mustangs roaming the mesa.  Cowboys rounded up these horses herded them across the narrow neck of land into the point.  They then separated out the ones these wished to keep and fenced off the remainder of the horses with branches and brush leaving them on the waterless point to die of thirst with a view of the Colorado River below.    How inhumane can you be!  

While we have been to Arches National Park before, we did not do so this time.  However, I am putting in a couple of pictures from a previous visit for you to get a feel for the beauty and formations of this area as well as the others. 

 

We returned back to town to stop at the Moab Brewery for a bit of locally made beer and our dinner.  While I am not a great beer connoisseur, I had found their light pilsner beer to my taste last time we stopped.  Cold beer on a hot summer day sure does taste good.

Signing off until we arrive at our next destination – Salt Lake City Area

On the Road Again

Today is the beginning of our summer travels from Albuquerque to the north (Idaho and Montana) with travels through Utah, South Dakota and Colorado before returning to New Mexico in September.   This trip has been a long time coming (9 months to be exact) and we are so happy to once again be on the road.

Tonight we are staying at the San Juan County Fairgrounds in Farmington and will leave in the morning for Moab, UT where we plan to spend two nights.  Signing off until next time.

Route 66 Exhibit

On Saturday Ron and I again ventured out, this time to the Albuquerque Museum in the Old Town area where the Museum has a special exhibit marking the 90th Anniversary of the fabled Route 66. The exhibit was entitled “Route 66: Radiance, Rust and Revival on the Mother Road” and celebrates the art, history and pop culture surrounding the Route.

I was especially interested because in July 1952 as a child of 8, my parents, brother (5), and I traveled Route 66 from Los Angeles to Amarillo while traveling to New Jersey to our new home.  We traveled in a two door new Buick with a small low sided trailer behind with all our must have treasures for when we arrived before our moving truck.  My brother and I shared the back seat but squabbled all the way over one or the other of us being on the others side.  The front of our car sported a canvas bag filled with water in case the radiator dried up in the very hot, dry weather and a window air conditioner in the front passenger window to keep my mother (pregnant with my soon to be youngest brother) cool as we traveled across the country.  I have memories of Native Americans with tables along the highway through Arizona and New Mexico and traveling part of the trip through the desert after dark when it might be cooler.  I’m not sure how much cooler it was.  We made many stops along the way at local service stations where a uniformed attendant filled our tank, washed our windows and checked our tires, oil and water while we used the rest rooms and perhaps partook of a coke from the ever present coke cooler out in the front with the attached bottle opener for our glass bottle.   No pop tops in those days.  We also stopped along the way and ate our lunches including big slices of watermelon and then had contests to see how far we could spit the seeds.  Such fun!  We left Route 66 in Amarillo to travel to Galveston to visit friends of my parents before heading further east and north to New Jersey.  Why would you want to be in Galveston in July?  It’s hot and very muggy there. 

It is worth noting that Route 66 was established in 1926, was 2,338 miles long, crossed eight states and three time zones.  It was the pathway for migrant workers, postwar veterans, tourists, hippies and nostalgia junkies and was the first of its kind.   Its popularity swelled in the 1950’s. In 1985 the government decommissioned the road and it officially ceased to exist. 

Route 66 wound across 380 miles of New Mexico through Tucumcari, Albuquerque, Gallup and the Navajo Reservation.  Today, Albuquerque still boasts 16 miles of the Mother Road, the longest single-city urban stretch of the highway in the U.S.  It is also the only spot where the highway crosses itself with a north south axis stretching from Santa Fe to Los Lunas and then back east west to Gallup and the Navajo Reservation.

The exhibit was filled with a great deal of information about the road through New Mexico and Albuquerque but we felt lacked pictures which we had hoped to see.  There were, however, old neon signs, tourist souvenirs and vintage highway signs.  In addition, there were many paintings from famous artists such as Andy Warhol, Jackson Pollock and others.  You could also step into a booth and record your own memories of the Route.  An interesting exhibit and a fun outing.

A quote from John Steinbeck’s Grapes of Wrath sums up the significance of Route 66.  “66 is the path of people in flight, refugees from dust and shrinking land, from the thunder of tractors and shrinking ownership, from the desert’s slow northward invasion, from the twisting winds that howl up out of Texas, from the floods that bring no richness to the land and steal what little richness is there, from all of these the people are in flight and they come into 66 from the tributary side roads, from the wagon tracks and the rutted country roads.  66 is the mother road, the road of flight.”

Spending the Day in Northern New Mexico

Friday Ron and I drove to Santa Fe to pick up our friends Bob and Trish who are  spending the month in Santa Fe.  We had seen them back in March when they were staying in TorC and it was nice to once again enjoy their company and show them another famous site in NM.

We drove from Santa Fe to the little town of Chimayo where an old Catholic Church (Sanctuario de Chimayo) is located.  Chimayo is nestled in a fertile valley of the Sangre de Cristo foothills of northern New Mexico.  The church is a National Historic Landmark and is famous for the story of its founding and a contemporary pilgrimage site where hundreds of pilgrims come each year on Good Friday.  "It has been called the most important Catholic pilgrimage center in the United States."

The Sanctuario "  is entered through a walled courtyard. Built of adobe with a bell tower on each side, the church is 60 feet  long and 24 feet  wide with walls more than 3 feet thick.  Pointed caps on the towers and a metal pitched roof  were added after 1917, probably in the 1920s. The "elegant" doors were carved by the 19th-century carpenter Pedro Domínguez. An unusual feature is two side-by-side rooms at the entrance forming a vestibule once used for storage.  A small room called el pocito^] (the little well) contains a round pit, the source of "holy dirt" that is believed to have healing powers. An adjacent Prayer Room displays many photographs, discarded crutches, and other testimonials of those purportedly healed."

The property includes several gathering places with shrines and other interesting sites.  

Sculpture in the Garden

Near the church are gift shops and restaurants as well as a lovely flowing creek.  In winter, this area has quite a bit of snow which makes for some beautiful pictures of the church and the surrounding area.  



Down the road from the church is an old home called Rancho de Chimayo which is now and has been a Mexican restaurant for 50 years.  The restaurant is famous for its signature dishes of spicy guacamole, rolled tamales, blue corn enchiladas, chili rellenos and carne adovada (marinated pork in red chili and seasonings). The home was originally built by Hermeneglido and Trinidad Jaramillo and today preserves the rich tradition of the family and the local culture.  Fireplaces throughout radiate warmth in the winter and the white washed adobe walls are adorned with old framed family portraits.    

We chose to eat on the terraced patio located to the back and above the house.  Our table was shaded by a large umbrella and there was a  gentle breeze blowing as we enjoyed our lunch and prickly pear lemonade.  The lemonade was the shade of purple and the glass adorned with a slice of orange and a stick with a colorful flower.   What a delicious and different treat.  

After lunch we stopped near by at Ortega's Weaving Shop which has been in the same family for 8 generations.  They have some lovely rugs, coasters, vests, purses, etc. all of which are made on sight or at the local homes of  employees.  The style is very  unique and there are lots of colors and designs to choose from.  Trish, who is a weaver herself, enjoyed visiting the weaving room.  Unfortunately, there was no one weaving at the time.


On our return to Santa Fe, we stopped in the town of Tesuque where the Shidoni Foundry and Gallery is located.  This Gallery Is located on 8 acres of sculpture gardens along the Rio Tesuque which was once an apple orchard.  The Gallery includes the work of 140 artists from throughout the country.  Large and smaller expensive bronze sculptures may be found in both the  gift shop or on the large grassy lots adjoining the building.  Sculptures include everything from animals to people to the abstract.  Beautiful.  One can visit and watch the Foundry in action on certain days.

All in all a great day with our RV friends.  We hope to see them again on down the road.  

A Trip to Tinkertown

Only one and a half more weeks of radiation therapy and I am done with my cancer treatments. Looking forward to getting out of Albuquerque and heading northwest for the summer in Idaho and Montana before heading to Rapid City for a 55 year class reunion for Ron over Labor Day Week. Can’t believe it has been that long since both of us graduated. Where did the years go.

This past Saturday, we finally got to make our trip to the Tinkertown Museum located in Cedar Crest which is on the east side of the Sandia Mountains which overlook Albuquerque. I had brought my children here many years ago and have wanted to return for some time.

The late Ross Ward started carving miniature wood figures when in junior high continuing this into adulthood. He was captivated by the tiny villages, farms and circuses created by the “spare time carvers.” His first carvings in 1962 were figures for the turn of the century general store which still resides in the museum. In the 1960’s and 70’s, Ward’s figures were originally part of a traveling exhibit going to county fairs and carnivals. In 1983 they became a permanent exhibit around a cabin in the mountains where he built winding walls with discarded bottles, rocks and cement.

Guess Who?

Today the museum is 24 rooms of miniature displays, signs, devices and antiques which Ward incorporated into the museum. For a quarter you can have Grand Mother Esmeralda issue you a fortune promising travel and riches or listen to Otto play the accordion playing music of yesterday. The displays are so numerous that it is hard to take it all in.

 I was captivated by the display of Emmett Kelly, the clown whom I remember so well from my childhood.

I also had vivid recollections of the circus exhibit from our previous visit many years ago.

 Other exhibits include a collection of bride and groom tops for bridal cakes dating back to the 1800’s, dolls from many countries and the U.S., an old sail boat that traveled 80,000 miles over a ten year period, and an elaborate doll house which Ward had been commissioned to build for a collector. It has now been donated to the Museum as a permanent exhibit.

Outside the Museum we wandered around finding an old Medicine Wagon, a harness shop, and an old wagon.

If you are ever in the area, this is definitely a place to stop.

 We stopped at the Burger Boy on Highway 14 in Tijeras on our way home. According to a recent newspaper article, the restaurant has been around for the past 33 years and is locally owned. The article touted it as having won national recognition for the Best Burger in New Mexico. All in all a nice outing and a relaxing day.

A Trip to Las Cruces, NM

Las Cruces, NM

Wednesday, April 6 – Friday, April 8, 2016

After having my weekly blood test at the Cancer Center, Ron and I took off in the car for a trip south to Las Cruces, NM a 235 mile, 3-1/2 hour trip on I-25 through the desert of New Mexico and several interesting stops. 

Though we have traveled this road many, many times over the years we have been residents in New Mexico, there were several places we had never stopped to sightsee so took advantage of the fact that we did not have the RV and could easily get into a couple of places without the earthquake effect of dirt roads on the RV. 

RV friends of ours who were in TorC for the winter, mentioned they had stopped at the El Camino International Heritage Center just north of TorC.  While we had seen the sign for it many times, we usually did not have the time to stop.  We had also seen a sign for Fort Craig.  Having the time now, we first took  the 10 mile trip off I-25, five miles paved along the edge of the freeway on Highway 1 and 5 miles east on a smooth but dry, dusty road to Fort Craig.

Fort Craig’s (1854 -1885) early years before the Civil War were spent conducting campaigns against Native Americans who were a threat to travelers who traveled for 300 years on “The Royal Road” from Mexico City to Santa Fe.  In July of 1861, Fort Craig became the largest fort in the Southwest with over 2,000 soldiers and growing.  Most of the soldiers were Hispanic and served under Colonel Kit Carson. After several battles with the “Rebs” both in the area and in Glorieta, near Santa Fe, the Confederates retreated to Texas ending the push for Confederate military conquest in the west. Today there is little left of the fort but a few ruins, but it is worth the stop to learn more of the history in New Mexico and to understand how valuable the trail (1,600 miles) through the area was to the growth of the state and its culture before the railroad arrived.

 Getting back on the side road (Highway 1) with our now very dusty car, especially the back window which was now completely encased in dirt and unusable for seeing out of, we continued south to the El Camino Real Historic Trail Site.  As you turn off Highway 1 toward the Museum you see this state monument sitting atop a hill.  

The Museum itself sits in the middle of the old Royal Road and is also 4 miles east but this time on a paved road. Continuing from the Monument,  you arrive at this award winning building sitting in the Chihuahuan Desert which houses an exhibit giving the visitor a virtual journey of 3 centuries along the historic trail with remnants of hand hewn carts, tools, leather items and religious objects the accompanied the travelers along the way.  

The Museum is beautifully laid out and worth the stop. 

Leaving the Museum, we continued our trip to Las Cruces arriving late in the afternoon with our first stop at a car wash to get rid of most of the encased reddish brown dirt which was clinging to our car.  After checking in to the hotel, we headed out to the nearby Chili’s for a nice dinner. 

Thursday morning we were lazy and slept in having a late breakfast in town and then driving out into the countryside of Las Cruces taking in some housing areas.  We have considered Las Cruces as a possible place to settle later on as it is a nice college town, very senior citizen friendly, a bit warmer than Albuquerque in the winter and a much smaller community than Albuquerque.  

Driving on I-10 east of town, we came upon this statue of a roadrunner in the rest area.  Following is what we found out about it from the internet.  "a 20-foot roadrunner sculpture made from trash found at  the city dump. The bird was built from a variety of objects, including  sheet metal ,toys, computer and stereo parts, but its belly was made almost entirely from discarded white shoes."

We wandered around Old Mesilla doing a bit of shopping with Ron once again taking pictures of many of the interesting buildings and doorways on houses in this old part of town.  

Basilica of Saint Albino

A funky store

We spent the evening with local RV friends, Carol and Bob catching up, reminiscing as well as talking about mutual friends and our time spent together serving on the New Mexico Good Sam State Staff.  What great friends.  It was wonderful to see you both.   Stay healthy.

Friday morning we enjoyed breakfast in the hotel and left for home amid light rain which later cleared though the mountains ahead and east and west were very clouded.  What a great getaway before starting my radiation on Monday.